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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bore — to drill
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. staff — a stick
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com